Making Upper Division Mathematics Courses More Relevant for Future High School Teachers: The Case of Inquiry-Oriented Dynamical Systems and Modeling

San Diego State University Foundation, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

This project aims to serve the national interest by creating and investigating the impact of an upper division elective course, Inquiry-Oriented Dynamical Systems and Modeling for prospective secondary mathematics teachers. In doing so, this NSF IUSE: EDU Engaged Student Learning Level II project aims to address the well-documented disconnect between upper division mathematics courses and the needs of prospective secondary school teachers. This project will include the development of an open-source semester-long curriculum, where modeling applications will include a variety of environmental, ecological, sustainability, and social issues of interest to students and which will be intimately connected to high school mathematics topics. The curriculum will include student tasks as well as teacher resources and strategies for teaching the course. The project will investigate the prospects and possibilities for deep and meaningful connections between secondary school mathematics content and teaching in an Inquiry-Oriented Dynamical Systems and Modeling course specifically for prospective secondary teachers. The project will be supported by a diverse team of researchers at multiple universities and consultants from math education, mathematics, and secondary education. A National Advisory Board of experts will advise the project team on its core work and will assess the success of the project. The project has potential to significantly impact undergraduate mathematics education and to indirectly impact secondary mathematics education through the curriculum and plans to disseminate work with the mathematics community. The three broad goals of the project are: (1) creation of the open-source curriculum including student tasks and instructor resources, (2) research on the impact of the curriculum related to prospective teachers content knowledge, how they engage in the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice, and their beliefs about teaching and learning mathematics, and (3) outreach to the mathematics community aimed at supporting others in designing and modifying upper division mathematics courses for prospective secondary teachers. The four project research questions concern prospective teachers': 1) content knowledge, 2) engagement in the Standards for Mathematical Practice, 3) beliefs on teaching and learning mathematics, and 4) engagement in approximations of teaching practice. This work has both practical contributions (creation of a new curriculum) and theoretical contributions from design-based research (producing research knowledge about teachers' knowledge of secondary mathematics, their beliefs about mathematics teaching and learning, and their mathematical and professional practices). The project will include three semester-long classroom design experiment iterations in three different contexts and each will include a three-phase retrospective data analysis. The project will disseminate its results through publications, a website, workshops, conferences, and working groups with an eye on engaging early curriculum adopters to inform the curriculum development. The NSF IUSE: EDU Program supports research and development projects to improve the effectiveness of STEM education for all students. Through the Engaged Student Learning track, the program supports the creation, exploration, and implementation of promising practices and tools. Partial funding for the project is from the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.